Donald Trump Jr ended his late-summer hunting trip to Mongolia with a dinner in Ulaanbaatar with the country’s president, Ukhnaagiin Khurelsukh, according to an October 27, 2026 investigation by the Financial Times. The FT says a spokesperson for Mongolia’s government shared pictures of the meal on Facebook, describing talks on bilateral ties and possible business openings, and that the post soon disappeared. This is what is known about the Trump Jr Mongolia president dinner, and what each side says about it.
Where it stands: No outlet but the FT had reported this dinner as of October 28. No Mongolian-media coverage of it and no US government statement on it had been reported by then, and other outlets had not independently confirmed the removed post’s wording.
Both sides describe it as an unofficial get-together. Trump Jr’s spokesperson called it unofficial, telling the FT the conversation was mostly about the outdoors. Khurelsukh’s spokesperson told the FT: “The president had an informal meeting and a meal with Trump’s son. Relations are on fairly good terms. They did not discuss politics or official visits.”
What happened at the Trump Jr Mongolia president dinner?
The FT’s account is short. After hunting ibex in Bayan-Ölgii province, it says, Trump Jr returned to the capital, where he “traded his camo gear for a suit and held a series of meetings.” The dinner with Khurelsukh was one of them.
The FT did not name the other meetings, say who else attended the dinner, or give its date. It also did not report that any agreement or business deal came out of it, and none has been reported elsewhere.
The dinner capped a trip that drew attention for another reason. The FT reported that the boxing executive Umar Kremlev (he runs the IBA, the International Boxing Association) spent two days with Trump Jr at an earlier camp in Uvs province. Trump Jr’s spokesperson has called that “a personal friendship, not a business relationship.” Neither Kremlev nor Arthur Martirosov, who arrived with him according to the FT, answered the paper. The FT did not report that Kremlev attended the Ulaanbaatar dinner. Our main report on the FT story covers that part of the trip.
What did the removed Facebook post say?
According to the FT, a Mongolian government spokesperson posted photos of the dinner on Facebook and wrote that the two men discussed US-Mongolia relations and “potential business opportunities.” The FT said the post was removed shortly afterwards. It did not say who removed it or why.
The FT did not publish the post’s full text, and no other outlet had reported its contents as of October 28. The FT’s summary is the only public account of what it said.
| Who | Their account of the dinner |
|---|---|
| Mongolian government Facebook post (removed) | US-Mongolia ties and potential business opportunities, per the FT |
| Trump Jr’s spokesperson | Unofficial; mostly talk of the outdoors |
| Khurelsukh’s spokesperson | Informal meal; no politics or official visits |
| US government | No public statement found |
The two spokespeople’s accounts do not directly address the post. The FT did not report either side addressing the post’s reference to business.
Who is Mongolian President Khurelsukh?
Ukhnaagiin Khurelsukh is Mongolia’s head of state, and under its system the president leads on foreign policy. The Congressional Research Service (CRS), Congress’s in-house research arm, said in a September report that “the president plays the primary role in foreign policy.”
Khurelsukh, of the Mongolian People’s Party, won the 2021 election; a 2019 amendment restricts each president to one term of six years, CRS notes. The cabinet answers to Prime Minister Nyam-Osoryn Uchral, in post since March 2026 following a constitutional standoff in late 2025.
Has Trump Jr met Mongolia’s president before?
Yes, but a different one. After his 2019 argali hunt, Trump Jr met privately in Ulaanbaatar with Khaltmaagiin Battulga, then Mongolia’s president, ProPublica reported. “It isn’t clear what was discussed,” ProPublica wrote, and Trump Jr did not answer questions about it.
Records later obtained by CREW, a government ethics watchdog, included an email to a US foreign service officer saying the meeting, scheduled as a dinner, was set up directly between Trump Jr and Battulga. CREW reported that the State Department helped with the hunt but not with that meeting. For the earlier hunt, see our account of Trump Jr’s argali hunts since 2019.
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Where do US-Mongolia relations stand in 2026?
Mongolia calls the United States its “third neighbor,” a partner beyond its two giant neighbors, Russia and China. The State Department calls the relationship a “Strategic Third Neighbor Partnership,” and marked 38 years of ties in a July message for Mongolia’s national day.
The economic weight sits elsewhere. CRS says China took 89% of Mongolia’s exports in 2025, and Russia supplied over 94% of its petroleum imports. US goods exports to Mongolia were about $415 million that year, against about $127 million in imports. A 10% US tariff rate on Mongolia expired on July 24, 2026, CRS says.
Ties have had friction and new links. Mongolia joined Trump’s Board of Peace as a founding member in January 2026, CRS says, the same month the State Department paused immigrant visas for Mongolians. Consular officers can also demand a bond, capped at $20,000, from Mongolians applying for business or tourist visas.
At annual talks in Ulaanbaatar on March 17, the two governments named critical minerals and clean coal technology “as areas for potential cooperation,” and marked the coming completion of a $462 million Millennium Challenge Corporation water project. No signed US-Mongolia minerals deal had been reported as of October 28. The US Trade and Development Agency is funding work toward an aviation safety rating that it says would enable direct flights; no such route had been reported in operation.
The next round of those annual consultations is set for Washington in 2027, according to the joint statement.
Frequently Asked Questions
Did Donald Trump Jr meet Mongolia’s president?
The Financial Times says so: he dined in Ulaanbaatar with President Ukhnaagiin Khurelsukh after the August 2026 hunt. Trump Jr’s spokesperson called it unofficial, and Khurelsukh’s called it informal.
What did Trump Jr and Khurelsukh discuss?
A since-removed Mongolian government Facebook post said they discussed US-Mongolia relations and potential business opportunities, according to the FT. Trump Jr’s spokesperson said the talk was mostly about the outdoors, and the Mongolian president’s office ruled out politics and official visits.
Who is the president of Mongolia in 2026?
Ukhnaagiin Khurelsukh, who won in 2021 and is limited to one six-year term. Nyam-Osoryn Uchral has been prime minister since March 2026.
Did Trump Jr meet Mongolia’s president in 2019?
Yes. ProPublica reported a private meeting after that year’s hunt with Khaltmaagiin Battulga, who held the office then; its content is unknown. That was a different president from Khurelsukh.
Is there a US-Mongolia minerals deal?
None had been reported as signed as of October 28. The two governments flagged critical minerals for possible joint work after their March 2026 talks.
Sources
- Inside Donald Trump Jr’s Mongolian hunting trip with a Kremlin-linked businessman — Financial Times, October 27, 2026
- Mongolia: In Brief (R49352) — Congressional Research Service, September 16, 2026
- Secretary Rubio’s Call with Mongolian Foreign Minister Battsetseg — U.S. Department of State, May 30, 2025
- Joint Statement on the U.S.-Mongolia Annual Bilateral Consultation — U.S. Department of State, March 17, 2026
- Mongolia National Day — U.S. Department of State, July 10, 2026
- Donald Trump Jr. Went to Mongolia, Got Special Treatment From the Government and Killed an Endangered Sheep — ProPublica, December 11, 2019
- The State Department helped to arrange Don Jr.’s Mongolian sheep hunt. But not his meeting with the Mongolian president. — Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, 2021
- USTDA Partners with Mongolia to Advance Secure, Direct Air Links — U.S. Trade and Development Agency, undated
This article is news reporting and analysis based on the public sources listed above, as they stood on the dates shown. Where officials, lawmakers or analysts disagree, including on whether an action is lawful, their positions are attributed to them; Donald Trump Class Action is not a court and nothing here is legal advice. Facts in a developing story can change.